Clothes-pounder



(No Mode.)

N. D. LEWIS.- G.LOTHBS POUNDER.

No. 524,422. Patented Aug. 14, 1894.

itnesses:

/ torney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN D. LEWIS, OF WALNUT SPRINGS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T -JASPER N. DAZEY, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

CLOTHES-POUNDER. i

SPECIFICAIIKON foming part of Letters Patent No. 524,422, dated August 14, 1894;. Application filed January 31, 1894. Serial No. 49 8.562. (No modal.)

T0 et w710m 7325 may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN D. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Walnut Springs, in the county of Bosque and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and usefnl Improvements in Clothes-Washers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, sueh as will enable others skilled in the art which it appertais 'to malte and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettcrs of reference marked thereon, which:'fofln a part of this specification.

My invention consists in a new and improved clothes washer,embodying several new and valnable featnres; and the invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the clothes washer; partly broken away to show the piston. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the same with the piston removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the piston. Fig. 4 is a central sectonal view of the same. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views on an enlarged scale.

The same letters of reference indicate cor-- responding parts in the several figures.

Referring t0 the several parts by their letters of referencez-The onter cone of. my invention, which is usually about eight or nine inches in diameter at its base and about ten or twelve inchcs in height, is formed in two parts, A and A, the main body A extending up to the upper end of the inner cylinder B, While the part A extends up at an increased angle from the body A, running from the top of the cylinder B up to the tube b.

d designates a disk or plate having a central opening, which s rigidly secured to the top of the cylinder B, closing the same. The tube b extends at its lower end through the central opening of the plate (1 and is rigidly secured thereto, said tube xtending up through the upper end ofthe part A, and rising a short distance above the same,being rigidly secnred to said part. Said tube is of proper diameter and length to form a guide for the handle or piston-rod J.

e indicates the usual strengthening wire aronnd the lower end of the cone.

The lower end of the cylinder B extends to guidetube 17, and on its lower end is secured the piston. This piston, which plays up and down in the cylinder B, is formed of two ciroular plates K, K, secured together and hav ing their edges flared outwardly to form a groove, K, extending around the periphry of the piston-disk. A small aperture, K is 7 formed through the body of the piston at a point near its edge, and two recesses or small openings, K ,K are formed in the opposite flarin g edges of the disk near the retaining aperture K as clearly shown in the drawings.

The removable packingstrip, 0, which completes my piston, may be formed of astrip of any suitable material, but I preferably ennploy a piece of doinestic about one and onehalf inches wide, whieh is rolled or twisted round. This packing is almost instantly placed in position by passing its ends through the small hole K from opposite sides of the piston disk, the packingstri p beng placed in the edge groove of the piston, and fitted in the notches or edge-rece5ses K K, as shown in the drawings, when the oppositely-extendin g ends of the packing-strip are drawn tight. The surplus ends of the packing strip are then ont oi, and the piston is complote. The ends of the packing strip stop or close the small retaining aperture K throngh the disks completely, preventin g the passage thro ugh it 01: any Water. a is a socket for the attachment of. the piston-rod. 4

A long spiral spring, L, et sufficient strength, encirclcs the piston rod J as shown, with its lower end resting upon the upper end of the cone, and its npper end bearing against a removable pin j which extends transversely through the handle rod J a proper distance from the piston, so that the spring L will raise the piston to the upper end of the cylinderB.

Said spring L is of proper elasticity to allow the piston to be forced to the lower end of the cylinder B, and is eoiled a proper number of coils to the inch so that it will be entirely ompressed at the moment when the piston is nea* the lower end of the cylinder B to prethe clothes twice, that is, the dow11 stroke of the piston forces the water and stearn out of the cylinder and down toward the bottom of the tnb through the meshes et tire fabrics, and the up stroke of the piston croates a suctionahd causes the water to rush back through the fabrics into the cylinder. After operating the washer over the clothes in the tub 01 hot Water until the dirt is thoronghly forced out of the fabrics, the clothes or fabrics are thon put into a tub of rinsing water and the same p'rocess repeated With the washer; thon the clothes are run through a wringer, whih corhpletes the operation.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection With the accompanying draWin-gs, the operation of my invention will be readily understood, and also the grat simplicity of its construction, notably in the piston, where the ease With which the packing can be adjusted in position, or removed and replaced by a neW paoking when worn, will be readily appreciated. The entire piston consists practically of only two simple partszthe piston-disk and the plain single packing strip. The packing can be adjusted,as described, in one minute; and when worn through long use can be instantly removed and replaced by a new Packing oord or strip, with the greatest ease and economy. The invention operates with rapidity and great eftectiveness, and cleanses the clothes or fabrics thoronghly f rom all flirt.

Having thns described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patont, is- 7 In a clothes ponnder the combination with a cylinder, of a piston composed of two disks secured together and having their opposing edge. portions ontwardly flared or beveled, and having openings in the disks in concident relation close to the edge and having' notches in the flaring edges of the disks contignous to the said openings, the said notches being disposed thone in advanc'ot the other, and a packing strip fitted in the groove provided by the .flaring edges of the disks and having its ends passed throngh the notches and the opening in the piston from opposite sides, substantially as described.

In teStimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnsses.

NATHAN D. LEWIS.

Witnesses':

EVANS DAZEY, W. R. BOOTH. 

